Apparatus for curing tobacco



Dec? 5 1939' R. CRANE Er AL l 2,182,753.

APPARATUS VFOR GURING TOBACCO Filed Sept. 23, 1938 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT oFFicE over, Va.; Crane said Snadecki assigner to said Application September 23, 1938,A Serial No. 231,396

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to apparatus for curing tobacco, and more particularly to the general method known as flue curing.

In the vusual method of flue curing,.the cham- 5 ber, hereinafter referred to `as the barn, in which the'tobacco leaves are hung in customary manner, is provided with brick ilues heated by Wood fuel to .the proper temperature for curing.

The time required for heating these flues to the vcuring temperature is a considerable item in the cost of curing, as woodmust be supplied constantly, requiring the attendance of one or more according `to conditions.

When'thecuringlprocess is in operation, constant supervision is necessary to maintain a curing temperature, removing part of the fuel when temperature is too high, and supplying wood as required, to vary the temperature at different stages of the curing operation. The replenishing of the fuel permits the escape of smoke into the atmosp-here of the barn, and the tobacco leaves are impregnated and a recognized avor is imparted to the tobacco which is considered as beneficial. It is obvious that the im.-

pregnation can not be uniform in different batches cured, and depends on the skill of the operator and his judgment of the volume of escaping smoke.

As now managed, this process, including the preheating of the ues, is unduly expensive, requiring an excess of wood fuel, constant supervision for several days, control of the curing temperature by primitive means, and no uniform means for controlling the volume of smoke admitted to the atmosphere of the curing barn.

One object of our invention is to provide apparatus which is economical in installation, and in operation, which will produce flue cured tobacco at a material reduction in cost of fuel, and the n reduction of the time required in supervision during the process and in the actual time elapsed in the curing process.

A second object is to provide apparatus of the character required, with means for maintaining 45 uniform temperature in the barn as required at different stages of the process, and meansy for controlling such temperatures and admission of the required volume of wood smoke to the atmosphere with a minimum of supervision.

Our invention consists in the novel arrangement of heat radiating members in connection with the furnace, and controlling members for maintaining and Varying temperatures, and for controlling admission of wood smoke to the atu mosphere of the barn; also means for supplying (Cl.v 131-134) extra heat to rcooler portions of the barn to maintain uniform temperatures at dierent stages of the curing operation.

Other novelties and advantages willappear in the accompanying specifications and claims, and 5 illustrated in the drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing,

Fig. l shows a sectional elevation of a tobacco barn in which a preferred embodiment of our invention is installed. 10

Fig. 2 is a sectorial plan, substantially on line 2 2, Fig. 1.

These figures are diagrammatic, obvious detailsbeing omitted.

Fig. 3 is a fragment in section, showing the l5 means for supplying wood fuel to the furnace, with a minimum escape of smoke.

Fig. 4 is a fragment in section, showing a baille plate by means of which -each smoke ue is insured an equal volume of the products of 20 combustion.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a smoke vent and movable closure to control the volume of smoke admitted to the barn atmosphere.

In the drawing, I I) is the tobacco barn in which 25l the bunches of leaves are hung in the usual manner.v The wood burning furnace II is of a type known as air tight, and consists of a sheet iron body the body being raised above the floor by legs I2. An opening I3 in front is provided 3o with a closure hinged. at I4, and formed as a hopper with the back I5v normally closing the opening I3, and. the angularly disposed plate I6, on which logs of wood may be placed for feeding the re. Arcuately formed sides I'I, connect the 35 two plates, permitting the discharge of a log into the furnace with little escape of smoke, handles I8 being provided to enable the operator to swing the hopper on its hinges, discharge the log, and return to normal closed position. Suitable draft 40 dampers are provided as at I9, 20 to secure efdcient combustion.

The products of combustion discharge through opposite disposed ducts 2 I, 22, which are extended around within the walls of the barn, functioning as radiating surfaces, the ducts uniting above and Within the door opening 23, in an uptake at 24, discharging above the roof as at 25.

The ducts I9, 20 are each provided with a damper 26, 21 by means of which the volume of 50 heated waste gases passing thereinto, may be controlled, and the consequent radiation from the surfaces of the ducts, adjusted to vary the amount of heat according to the needs in different parts of the barn.

Depending within the furnace from the crown sheet, is a baffle plate 28 between the openings to the ducts to insure that each duct may have its full share of the products of combustion, and radiate uniformly when full open.

The ducts are supported at suitable height from the floor of the barn and sufficient-distance from the Walls, on brackets 29, providing free working space within the line of ducts, for hanging and inspecting the tobacco during the curing process.

Suitable air inlets 30 are provided near the oor, to admit fresh air to the barn as needed, and ventilators 3l are suitably placed to permit escape of moist air. At suitable intervals we provide vents 32 through which smoke from the interior of the ducts may be admitted to the barn, shutters 33 being operative to vary the area of the openings to keep a uniform smoke content in the atmosphere and thus secure uniformity in the flavor of the cured tobacco.

While we have shown the appartus diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 2, and the dampers and closures are shown as manually operated it is obvious that known instruments in common use for similar controls, and automatic in action, may be employed instead of the manually operated members, to secure uniform results in different batches of tobacco.

As an auxiliary means for keeping the temperature uniform in all parts of the barn, we provide a duct 35 by means of which a current of heated air may be directed toward a cool portion. This duct is swiveled at 36 to the top of a hood 31 forming a portion of the heater IIJ. Air is admitted through openings 39 in the lower edge of the hood, to the interior where it is heated and flows outward through the duct which may be directed toward any portion of the barn that may require additional heat to preserve uniformity.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An apparatus for flue curing tobacco com prising a wood burning heater member, having a plurality of smoke ilues extending therefrom and constituting heat radiator elements; an independent duct swiveled on the heater member top, formed as a hood and having openings permitting ingress of air above the crown sheet of the heater member, said air being free to pass through the swiveled duct;` a bafile plate depending from the crown sheet of the heater member within the heater and between the outlets to the smoke iiues; means for controlling the rate of combustion of fuel and means for permitting a regulated volume of smoke to pass into the atmosphere of the barn in which the apparatus is installed.

2. In an apparatus of the character described in claim l, means for supplying wood fuel to the heater member, comprising a closure formed with an extended apron and arcuate side plates connecting the closure and apron, forming a hopper hinged below the feed opening of the heater member, and adapted to receive a log, and swing it into the repot with a minimum of escaping smoke therefrom.

RICHARD CRANE. WILLIAM J. SNADECKI. 

